Ledell Zellers is seeking a second term on Madison’s City Council. In her first term, she has been a leader on issues such as sustainable development and historic preservation, protecting water quality, expanding public transit, and working to end homelessness. See Ledell’s website here.

Marsha Rummel (Madison Alder District 6) (unopposed)

Marsha Rummel has served on Madison’s City Council since 2007. She has been a progressive champion on many issues, and has been instrumental in ensuring that development of Madison’s East Side has been sustainable, affordable, and vibrant with lots of green space. See Marsha’s website here.

Samba Baldeh (Madison Alder District 17)

Samba Baldeh is a software engineer and community activist in Northeast Madison. He is running on a platform that includes expanding community policing and addressing the shortage of affordable housing. See Samba’s website here.read more »

Enbridge Energy, the corporation responsible for the largest inland oil spill in American history (dumping an estimated 1 million gallons of tar sands sludge into the Kalamazoo River system), is attempting to expand its pipeline system in Wisconsin to carry more tar sands than the proposed Keystone XL pipeline.

On Tuesday January 27th, the Dane County Zoning and Land Regulation Committee will decide what conditions to place on the zoning permit for the proposed Line 61 pump station near Marshall.

The WI Green Party urges citizens of Wisconsin to call on our local governments to demand:

-An Environmental Impact Study (EIS) for each county where the pipeline expansion runs.

-Environmental impact liability insurance in place before any further expansion in pipeline capacity or any additional lines.

-A moratorium on this expansion until all the details are properly legally secured, and residents of the affected counties have been fully informed of the potential health and environmental impacts.

From Michael Brown in Ferguson to Eric Garner in New York City to Dontre Hamilton in Milwaukee, there is an epidemic of police violence against unarmed Black men in the United States. In Wisconsin in recent years, we’ve also seen white men like Michael Bell killed by police, and white vigilantes kill Corey Stingley for shoplifting in suburban Milwaukee. This systemic pattern of excessive force has caused a sense of fear among Blacks even in routine encounters with officers, eroding the trust in law enforcement that is essential to keeping our communities safe. The problem of police brutality is inextricably connected to Wisconsin’s runaway mass incarceration of people of color, showing an urgent need to reform our criminal justice system.

These deaths are preventable. Measures can be taken to solve this problem. Among them include: read more »

The Green Party is now on the ballot for president in 2016 in nineteen states. By contrast, four years ago it was on in fourteen states. For purposes of this sentence, the District of Columbia is treated as a state.

The Arizona Green Party submitted 30,000 signatures on November 14, so in all likelihood it will soon be on in Arizona. It has almost finished its Maryland petition drive and expects to submit those signatures in December, so it will probably soon be on in 21 states, the most it has ever had following a midterm election.

Relative to four years ago, the Green Party has gained Delaware, Hawaii, New Mexico, Oregon, and Wisconsin.

Sometimes there is an election in one state that progressives all over the United States get excited about. I’m sure you can think of examples. Paul Wellstone and Russ Feingold’s first campaigns come to mind, for me. So do those of Matt Gonzalez and Kshama Sawant.

Tonight, Wednesday, you can tune in to the hottest progressive campaign in America. Howie Hawkins is polling nearly 10% in New York’s gubernatorial election, and he’s climbing fast.

On Thursday, the Buffalo Federation of Teachers became the latest union to endorse him and his teacher running mate, Brian Jones.

This past week, Hawkins and Jones received the endorsement of not one, not two, but three New York City Democratic Party clubs.

And tonight, you can tune in to watch Howie Hawkins debate Andrew Cuomo. Tens of thousands of progressives across the country will be watching. Click here to find out how you can be one of them.

The Hawkins campaign is the most exciting in a series of fresh, promising campaigns in states ranging from Maine to Minnesota in which the Green Party is attracting labor, farm, community and professional endorsements.

With elections coming this November, many state Green Parties are holding meetings to nominate candidates, discuss strategy, and get to know new members. If you are near one of these upcoming state meetings, mark it on your calendar!

Are you ready to take power? I hope so! Please join me, Jill Stein, along with Cheri Honkala, and many other members of our Green Shadow Cabinet next month at this year’s Democracy Convention, August 7-11 in Madison, Wisconsin.

“If you want to strengthen democracy where it matters most … in our communities, our schools, our workplaces and local economies, our military, our government, our media, our constitution … you will find something inspiring in Madison this August. Join us at the second national Democracy Convention. read more »

This past weekend the Wisconsin Green Party held our 2013 Summer Gathering. We were honored to be joined by the Green Party’s 2012 Presidential Nominee, Dr. Jill Stein, who gave a rousing keynote and helped us to strategize about the future of the Wisconsin Green Party and the U.S. Green Party.

We elected new state party officers, a statewide coordinating council, and delegates to the national Green Party meeting to be held July 25-28 in Iowa City, Iowa. Four out of five of the newly elected officers are Greens under 30, several of whom were inspired to join the Green Party by the Jill Stein for President campaign. Dave Schwab and Erika Wolf were elected as co-chairs, Adam Porton and Jolie Lizotte were elected as co-secretaries, and Michael Slattery was elected as treasurer. read more »

Our Summer Gathering will feature talks from Jill Stein and Wisconsin Green elected officials, candidates and organizers, as well as workshops on party-building, running campaigns, being an officer, creating a long-term vision, and more.

No previous experience with the Green Party? No problem – the gathering will be aimed at helping everyone get involved, from veteran Greens to newcomers.

We will also be electing officers to guide the Wisconsin Green Party as we take our newly gained experience and resources into the 2014 election cycle. read more »

The Wisconsin Green Party is delighted to welcome 2012 Green Party Presidential candidate Jill Stein to our 2013 Summer Gathering in Oshkosh on Saturday, June 29th.

Our Summer Gathering will feature talks from Jill Stein and Wisconsin Green elected officials, candidates and organizers, as well as workshops on party-building, running campaigns, being an officer, creating a long-term vision, and more.

No previous experience with the Green Party? No problem – the gathering will be aimed at helping everyone get involved, from veteran Greens to newcomers.

We will also be electing officers to guide the Wisconsin Green Party as we take our newly gained experience and resources into the 2014 election cycle. read more »

Congratulations are in order to Dean Loumos and Ledell Zellers, two Madison, Wisconsin Green Party members who were elected yesterday to the Madison School Board and the Madison Common Council, respectively!

There was good news in other parts of Wisconsin as well: Rae Vogeler, a former Green Party candidate for the U.S. Senate, was elected to the Oregon School Board. And the voters of Fort Atkinson and Whitewater both joined the Move to Amend by voting overwhelmingly (84% and 77%) for the We the People Amendment (see http://www.WethePeopleAmendment.org).

We thank all of the Greens who ran for office in Madison this Spring.

Thanks to CJ Terrell, Damon Terrell, Barbara Davis, Christian Hanson, Sarah Manski, Leslie Peterson and Hawk Sullivan, each of whom ran strong campaigns we can be proud of. Sarah Manski, who won her primary with 45% of the vote, withdrew from the race shortly after the primary for family reasons, yet still won a third of the general election vote from diehard supporters.

When Cheri and I ran for office last year, one of our main goals was to build the Green Party and to inspire new leaders to run for office as Greens. Great news! We are succeeding.

With at least eight candidates for office, Greens can gain a significant hold in Wisconsin’s capital city in elections these next two months. Two Greens are running for the Madison school board, at least six are competing for seats on the Madison city council, and the ranks of these endorsed Green Party candidates may soon be joined by several others.

Cheri Honkala, the Green Party’s Vice Presidential candidate, is in the midst of a campaign swing through the heart of America, the “Rust Belt” from Appalachia to stops this week in Milwaukee, Minneapolis and Detroit.

Green Party Vice Presidential nominee Cheri Honkala has begun a tour of the Rust Belt during which she has seen first-hand the effects of the failed economic policies advanced by the two corporately owned parties. This tour has highlighted the plight of impoverished communities in the Upper Great Lakes and Appalachia.

Honkala began the tour in Eastern Kentucky and West Virginia and witnessed the horrors of mountaintop removal mining. The environmentally unsound and shortsighted energy policies of both the Republicans and Democrats have left this area dependent on the harvest of coal. The local population now faces abject poverty, contaminated water sources, and the continued degradation of one of the U.S.’s most ecologically significant natural areas.

According to Honkala, “What the Great Lakes and Appalachia need is the Green New Deal. Dr. Jill Stein and I offer commonsense, time-tested solutions to the ongoing cycle of pollution and poverty in the central Appalachian mountains. We would redirect research funds from fossil fuels and other dead-end industries toward research in wind, solar and geothermal energy. We will invest in research in sustainable, non-toxic materials, closed-loop cycles that eliminate waste and pollution, as well as organic agriculture, permaculture, and sustainable forestry. We offer a transition away from dirty coal and an escape from poisoned air and water as well as the destruction of these mountains.”

Honkala then continued to Louisville, Kentucky, Columbus, Ohio, where she witnessed the dismantling of public housing and met with displaced families and community leaders. “People in Kentucky and Ohio are suffering. The austerity programs offered by President Obama and Governor Romney offer no relief. We must end the demolition of public housing which serves to only raise homelessness rates. My number one priority, if elected, is ending homelessness in the U.S. by ending foreclosures, and placing families in abandoned housing units and creating employment by fixing them up. There are more abandoned homes than there are homeless people in this country. We just have to put the two together.”

Honkala then traveled to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and met with leaders on the World Court of Women East which will take place in Philadelphia in October of 2013. This Court will address poverty in the U.S. using the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. “The Republicans and Democrats both violate the Universal Declaration on Human Rights by continuing to allow homelessness and poverty in one of the world’s richest nations. A Green presidency will end homelessness, end unemployment, and provide a living wage for all workers, which would bring the U.S. into compliance with international human rights norms.”

The Rust Belt tour continues with stops in Milwaukee on October 24, the Twin Cities October 25-27, and Detroit October 28-29. Honkala will continue to advocate for the Green New Deal which will allow these ailing economies an escape from the continued downward trend offered by President Obama and Governor Romney.

After walking the picket lines in Chicago with striking teachers this week, Jill Stein is spending two days campaigning in Wisconsin before heading to New York for the one year anniversary of the Occupy Wall Street movement.

Friday evening Stein stops in Oshkosh, Wisconsin for a meet & greet fundraiser at Becket’s Restaurant on the Fox River. Former Deputy Mayor and Green Party activist Tony Palmeri will introduce Jill Stein, followed by casual conversation. The event is open to the public and donations are encouraged.

Saturday Jill Stein will be speaking at Fighting Bob Fest, an annual Chautauqua featuring progressive speakers, networking opportunities, and entertainment. The Fest carries on the tradition of Robert “Fighting Bob” La Follette by providing a forum for progressive ideas on issues facing Wisconsin and the nation. This year along with Jill Stein features Phil Donahue, Greg Palast, John Nichols, Bill McKibben and others.

Following Fighting Bob Fest, Jill will head to the Willy Street Fair in Madison to spread the word out about the campaign.

To end the night, the campaign staff invites everyone to visit their new headquarters at 122 State Street, Suite 500. The Open House will run from 6-8pm, and Jill will be available to chat with attendees.

Posted in Local Elections on September 7th, 2012 by Ronald Hardy – Comments Off

On Madison’s West Side, Green Party candidate Jonathan Dedering is suddenly looking like a competitive candidate for the Wisconsin State Assembly after two weeks of a strangely unfolding story regarding his only opponent, incumbent Democrat Brett Hulsey.

Brett Hulsey (pictured to the right) defeated Ben Manski two years ago in one of the closest partisan races for a Green across the nation, 49% to 31%. In office, Brett Hulsey became infamous during the Madison protests and capital building occupation when he encouraged protesters to leave the Capital building and go home. Fortunately the protesters laughed him off and continued to occupy the Capital building for months, sparking a summer of protests across the nation.

In the latest turn of events, Brett Hulsey plead no contest to a disorderly conduct charge stemming from an incident on the 4th of July involving a 9 year old boy. At a neighborhood beach, Hulsey had apparently knocked the boy off his intertube, splashed him in the water, then once out of the water took pictures of the boy on his iPhone. When confronted by the boy’s father Hulsey left on his bike.

Once the Isthmus broke this story last week, Brett Hulsey appeared on “Sly in the Morning”, a popular left wing radio show in Madison on WTDY, and seemed to confuse the story further, even suggesting that police may have falsified information in the police report. Sly summed it up by describing Hulsey as “creepy”, a sentiment that was conveyed several times by witnesses in the official police report as well.

WTDY reports from some of the more controversial parts of the police report:

During an interview with police, the grandmother of the 9 year old boy said she spoke with Kevin Briski at the Madison Parks department after the incident, so city lifeguards could keep an eye out for Hulsey. She went on to say that Briski told her Hulsey’s behavior had made many employees at the Parks department uncomfortable in the past at different public beaches in Madison.

She said Briski also told her that Hulsey had been in a “somewhat stalking situation” with a lifeguard at Olin Park. A city staffer told WTDY News that the Parks department has no written incident reports involving Hulsey.

Hulsey this week decided to tell WTDY that he believes he he is a victim of a conspiracy led by none other than Madison Mayor Paul Soglin and the Madison Police Department, claiming that police left out “my side of the story” from the police report, and suggesting that the Mayor is getting him back for supporting his opponent for Mayor two years ago.

MADISON — (WTDY) Madison Mayor Paul Soglin is not commenting on remarks made by Rep. Brett Hulsey in which he accused the mayor of plotting against him. At a press conference about the city’s capital budget on Wednesday, Soglin refused to answer questions about Hulsey.

“I’ll probably have some kind of comment in about a week or two,” Soglin said. “But I just want to give him more time.”

Last week, Hulsey pleaded no contest to a disorderly conduct charge for engaging in what police called “horseplay” with a 9 year-old boy at a Madison beach. Hulsey was accused of overturning the boy’s raft, knocking him into the water. The boy’s grandmother, who witnessed the incident, told police that Hulsey started to splash the boy, then took pictures of him.

But Hulsey insists police detectives intentionally left much of his side of the story out of the official police report.

“One of the police officers was not taking notes, the other one had his notebook closed,” he said.

He also claims that the boy’s grandmother, who works in the mayor’s office, lied to police as part of Mayor Soglin’s plot against him. He says Soglin is only trying to get back at him for supporting Dave Cieslewicz in last year’s mayoral race.

Brett Hulsey’s only opponent this November is the Green Party candidate Jonathan Dedering, 26, who was heavily involved in the Madison protests last year and occupation of the Capital Building. Dedering was involved with the Autonomous Solidarity Organization that was born from the Capital Occupation, and later the Occupy movement in Madison. Dedering is now seeing Brett Hulsey signs coming down in neighborhoods and is working to distribute his own.

If Brett Hulsey’s behavior continues to alienate voters, Jonathan Dedering could become the first third party candidate to be elected to the Wisconsin State Legislature since 1944.